Grass Clippings on windowsills
by Theta Waves
Summary: Day 3 prompt for JadeKat week: Seasons. Also uploaded (With artwork by tumlbr user Oranguin) on Ao3 and tumblr! R&R!


The new neighbors sure are weird…

They moved in about a month ago in March, and what little I know of them I learned from when my mother dragged me over there with a casserole to introduce ourselves. The woman with the cascade of black hair said that their names were Jade and Karkat, and I guess it suits them nicely. Jade seemed nice enough, warm and inviting, while her husband on the other hand was a bit of an ass. Jade insisted he was really much nicer, and that we had merely caught him in a grumpy mood. She thanked us very much for the casserole, talked for a while, told Karkat to say thank you, and we left.

Maybe he is kind of an ass, but we could tell he really loved her; he would smile just a bit at her when he thought no one was looking.

Living across the street from them is like watching one of mom's awful Hallmark movies unfold daily; my bedroom window looked out across their yard.

Jade goes outside a lot more than Karkat, and oftentimes has to force him. Jade is always running and jumping. She twirls about in the air and climbs like a monkey into the tree in the yard, grinning down at Karkat while he clambers up. I can't help but grin at that. She'll hang from the low branch by her knees, hair falling in front of Karkat's face, and after a moment of grinning, poke him on the nose. Dorks.

More often they just sit on the porch swing. They'll either have their arms around each other, or Jade will be sleeping on Karkat's shoulder as he reads, and sometimes he lies with his head in her lap, looking up at her while she strokes his hair back from his forehead and temples. Sometimes they lie there long into the night, spread over the cushion, Karkat holding Jade in arms, the swing slowly rocking, back…and forth.

Karkat always looks like he's thinking really hard; he's got his hands stuffed in his pockets and a bit of a thoughtful scowl under the hair he obviously never brushes. If he ever goes out into the yard on his own, it's late in the evening to kick around at the grass as the temperature drops, or even late into the night, when I myself should be sleeping. He'll step out and climb down his porch steps, for once not frowning, or at least frowning less, and look up at the stars. He'll do this for minutes on end before retreating back into his house, and I can see behind the drawn shade in their bedroom a figure slipping beside another before the light goes out.

Go to bed.

In the summer, it's a lot of the same. I wake up, early in the afternoon most days, stretch out in bed for a few minutes and move to my desk, whether it be to draw, or study or type, or what have you. And looking out the window, she and he lie in the grass. Jade lies on her back opposite her husband, cheek on his, and smiling eyes closed. He closes his eyes too, not smiling, but looking almost asleep. You would've said he was sleeping, could you not see him snake his hand through the grass to clasp hers.

When he really does fall asleep, face relaxed despite the sun on his eyelids, Jade props herself up and smiles at him, maybe even moving hair out of his face. Many a time she quickly returns to the house and comes back with two tall glasses of lemonade. She sits on his legs so that he'll sit up. After a moment of rubbing the sleep out of his face Karkat settles her into his lap and takes his lemonade, as well as a kiss or two.

Often enough, even on the same day sometimes, they'll be running and screaming through the yard in swimwear, Karkat flailing the garden hose about wildly while Jade squeals and pumps the super soaker at him. No matter how hard he tries, Karkat can't seem to get a leg up and is left powerless against the merciless aqua-onslaught. But after all that's over, and they lay in the grass, panting, wet and covered in grass clippings, Karkat will grab the hose for one last spray at Jade.

She doesn't usually stay mad for long, and she'll fall asleep with her arms draped around him anyway.

The new (or are they really new anymore?) neighbors seem to get more energetic in the fall. Karkat rakes the leaves often only to have Jade roll around in the pile and spread them out again, insisting it was the natural way of things. She'll also frequently drag him out of the house, bundled up in clothes to go for walks, the basket she takes empty upon departure, and full of apples upon return. He still stands out at night, but less often. And now Jade follows him out with a blanket to put around his shoulders.

I get home from school one Thursday afternoon, thoroughly swamped with homework and a head full of worry about jobs and college, and careers, and sit myself at the desk by the window. Karkat is raking again, and Jade sits on the steps watching him with a soft smile. Homework can wait.

Karkat seems to let out a great sigh and hangs his head while leaning on the rake, visibly grinding his teeth. I haven't the faintest idea why he rakes so much even though he seems to hate it. Jade rises and walks up behind him, puts her hands on his shoulders and kisses his cheek. He lips move to make words that can't pass your windowpane. Karkat grows a little calmer, and seems to lean back into her. She seems to say another word and he turns around, smiling sadly at his wife. Her smile just as loving with a new hint of mischief, she pushes him back and he disappears into the red mountain. After a great moment of thrashing that pushes up and away the slops of Leaf Mountain, Karkat manages to stick his head up and shouting. That too fails to reach your ears.

Jade, amidst laughter, leans down to pull Karkat up, and is instead pulled down with him, sending leaves a-scuttling. They're going to get Lyme disease, rolling around and kissing in all those leaves…

I'm writing yet another essay over break, wrapped in an old quilt watching the December winds blow. The snow seems to have been falling for days, and it's a shame everyone has school and work off, because it would otherwise be the perfect time to skip it. You should've glanced out the window sooner…

All you catch is the moment Karkat is pasted in the puss with a snowball, sending snowy shrapnel everywhere. He flails his arms about to wipe it out of his face before looking about for the assailant. She laughs and just throws another from behind him, right to the back. He turns and begins crouching in the snow and throwing clumps wildly as he shouted, going ballistic as all of his ballistics missed their mark. War was declared, and the front lines danced around the house to the back yard out of your view.

Spring comes again and I haven't seen Jade or Karkat for weeks. After exams I left on vacation, school started again, people went back to their respective jobs, and it's left me inconveniently without what had become my favorite past-time and escape. Until now.

It's early in the evening. The ground is a sponge of the post-winter melt, the trees are just beginning to see buds, and songbirds have returned. Karkat is holding her hands, leaning down slightly for their touching foreheads. Karkat is smiling for once of his own accord. It's minutes of their silent intimacy before you can see the tell-tale roundness of Jade's stomach.

They finally walk inside, hand in hand.

I sit for what seems like hours. Wow. I laugh. And laugh and laugh and shut my laptop. I didn't even realize I was crying until I saw myself in the window. Nothing for it I guess. It's only minutes before I occupy the kitchen; I've got to make the happy couple a congratulatory casserole after all.


End file.
